FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b) are disclosed in Patent Document 1. An air flow direction regulation device (a register in the same Document) forms an air diffuser provided in, for example, an instrument panel of an automobile, and is a type comprising a plurality of fins 23; a housing (a frame in the same Document) in which an operation portion 6 or a gear mechanism for allowing a direction of each fin to be regulated is arranged; and a case (a retainer in the same Document) 1 in which the housing 20 is disposed internally.
In FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b), each fin 23 is turnably supported at support points of outside support shafts 24 on a housing inner circumferential side and shaft support portions 4 of a center shaft support portion 3 provided on a housing center axis line side. A gear (a bevel gear) mechanism is formed by gear portions (bevel gear pieces in the same Document) 25 provided in respective fin base end side cylinder portions 27 fitted into the shaft support portions 4, and a gear (a bevel gear portion in the same Document) 51 integrally rotating with the operation portion 6 to engage with the gear portions 25 of the respective fins. The gear 51 is connected to the operation portion 6 through a shaft portion 52, and rotates in the same direction by a rotation of the operation portion 6. Also, the center shaft support portion 3 includes a load imparting member 7 disposed in a cavity opening at a back face side and formed by an elastic member; the shaft support portions 4 provided to project at each face of a pentagon; and a center shaft 31 provided to project on a front face. The center shaft support portion 3 is supported in a state wherein a ball 81 of a ball joint 8 held in a back-side support frame 12 of the case 1 fits in the load imparting member 7 so as to be variable freely to an arbitrary angle of top and bottom, and right and left at a support point of the ball 81. Each shaft support portion 4 fits into the cylinder portion 27 of the corresponding fin. The center shaft 31 fits into the shaft portion 52 of the gear 51.
Then, FIG. 11(a) shows a usual ventilation state wherein each fin 23 is disposed approximately parallel to a center axis line S1 of the housing. In each fin 23, the gear 51 rotates by a rotation operation of the operation portion 6, and each fin 23 rotates through each gear portion 25 engaged with the gear 51 so as to be switched to a diffusion ventilation state which is disposed approximately obliquely relative to the center axis line S1 or a closed state which is disposed approximately at a right angle. Also, the housing 20 is variably regulatable in an arbitrary direction of the top and bottom, and the right and left at the support point of the ball 81 of the ball joint relative to the case 1.
On the other hand, FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b) are disclosed in Patent Document 2 as another conventional example in a case wherein the aforementioned housing is variably regulated in the arbitrary direction of the top and bottom, and the right and left relative to the case. In that structure, in the case 1, there is provided a partial concave spherical face 11 on an inner circumferential face, and at an opposed position of the inner circumferential face, there is formed a pair of sliding grooves 12 and 13 approximately in parallel to a center line. In a housing 3, there is provided a partial convex spherical face 3a on an outer circumferential face, and there are formed support shafts 28 and 29 located on the outer circumferential face to fit into the sliding grooves 12 and 13, and projections 34 and 35 contactable with a case inner circumferential face. In the aforementioned structure, when the housing 3 is operated to turn in the arbitrary direction of the top and bottom, and the right and left, the housing 3 turns around the support shafts 28 and 29, and the support shafts 28 and 29 move inside the sliding grooves 12 and 13, and the whole housing turns around a center point on the center line.